Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
2. LeBron James
LeBron’s pretty much had three different Hall of Fame careers at this point.
It’s tough to choose the best version of LeBron, but his acute peak was probably between 2012 (second Miami Heat season) until 2018ish, with the absolute top of that peak being the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic 2016 NBA Finals comeback win over the Golden State Warriors, arguably the most impressive Finals win ever, not to mention the defining moment of James’ career.
From the moment LeBron entered the league, he looked like he’d been built in a lab or video game. Actually, he even looked that way as a high schooler.
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By far the most athletically-gifted wing of all time, James combined his physical gifts with elite passing skills and an even more elite basketball IQ. His only notable “weakness” (if it can be called that) was as an outside shooter, but he’s improved drastically as a shooter over the course of his 22-year career and counting.
What more do you want from LeBron at this point? He’s the game’s all-time leading scorer, and he’s got four rings to go along with four MVP trophies (and he deserves about twice as many of the latter).
Bron’s six Finals losses represent a tough pill to swallow when it comes to considering him for the No. 1 overall spot on this list, but his durability, all-around excellence and never-before-seen longevity puts him right back in the GOAT discussion in a more serious way than most MJ fans would like to admit.
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